Sequence specific off-target effects are one of the primary reasons for false positive results in RNAi experiments. In addition to the potency improvements afforded by the new algorithm and state-of-the-art bioinformatic filtering criteria, Silencer Select siRNAs incorporate novel modifications demonstrated to improve siRNA specificity.

Silencer Select siRNA Modifications Reduce the Number of Off-target, Differentially Expressed Genes. Three negative control siRNAs with and without the Silencer Select modifications were individually transfected in quadruplicate into HeLa cells at 30 nM. RNA was extracted and analyzed on an Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Array in triplicate. The y-axis indicates the average number of differentially expressed genes — those showing ≥2-fold change in expression versus mock transfected samples